Star Crossed
by Lauralogan80
Summary: Hilda is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Hillwood after her parents tragic death, and only months after her cousin, Helga's. Arnie is sent to live with his uncle and aunt only months after Arnold's death, while his parents divorce. But there's a secret that is about to be unearthed which will tear the town apart...
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Hey Arnold, any characters or locations you recognize.

….

…..

I know some people think I'm weird. I know I'm weird. For heaven's sake, I used to collect lint! I ate plain flavoured gum and had a sinus problem, which cause me to snort periodically. It was fixed a few years back with surgery.

My parents always fought. Every now and then I was sent to stay with my cousin and his family. Though the last time I was there was three months ago was for his funeral. It was tragic. He and his girlfriend, Helga, had gone sailing. No one was sure why they didn't come back before the storm, or even why they had gone out in the first place. In any case, the boat they were sailing in hadn't made it. From what I understood, Arnold's body was found, but Helga's wasn't.

"Those poor, poor parents," my mother had sobbed. "How horrible to know your child is still out there somewhere…"

"Fish food by now," my father said.

My mom whacked him with her purse.

"Your horrible and insensitive!" she had yelled at him. After leaving the wake and on the way home they started fighting. Dad was angry that she had had her outburst in public like she had. She was angry that he was so insensitive and emotionless.

Emotion is weakness, was my father's motto.

The Pataki family, of course, hadn't attended Arnold's funeral, though their oldest daughter had passed on their condolences.

My parents fought a lot, though in the last year it had gotten much worse. My mother would throw plates, glasses, whatever she could grab, and throw it at him. He would scream at her and swear, calling her names, then leave. He would come back later at night, drunk and stumbling around, waking my mother and me up, which of course would start another fight.

I left for school that morning without a word to either of them. I couldn't be bothered with the effort. Whatever I said would probably just start another fight. I saw Hilda walking up ahead. She was one of those pretty girls, who were quiet. Lulu and co called her a snob behind her back. They reakoned that she didn't hang around with them because she thought she was better than them. And her family were really religious, too. She was strange as well, but in a different way to me.

The day went the same way it did everyday, with the exception of Hilda being called out of English class, but not coming back. Everyone whispered and speculated about why she was being pulled from class.

"She probably forgot to say her prayers this morning or something," Lulu's voice rang out. Everyone had a good laugh, though I didn't get why it was so funny. Mind you, Lulu wasn't in my good books. We'd only broken up two weeks ago. She'd been cheating on me the whole time.

I shook my head. It had driven her insane when I didn't react. On the outside, anyway. On the inside I was in an absolute rage. I literally saw red when I saw her and she admitted it to me like it was nothing. Instead of saying anything, I'd shrugged and walked away. I knew Lulu liked drama and was expecting me to get upset. And I was. But I wasn't going to give her and her minions the satisfaction of knowing that.

Coming home from school I saw suitcases packed. Thinking dad had decided to finally leave permanently, I didn't think too much of it and went upstairs to my room. A little while later mom came up to see how I was doing.

"Hey, honey, how are you?" she asked, coming in.

"Fine," I said, then went back to reading my book.

She stood there fidgetting for a bit, before finally coming in and sitting on my bed and looking at me.

"Arnie . . . I love you. I do," she started. "But, I think maybe it would be best if you stayed with your aunt Stella and uncle Miles for a little bit."

I just stared at her, not saying a word. What could I say?

Just then we heard the door downstairs slam and footsteps running up the stairs, before dad came bursting in.

"There's been an accident!" he shouted, and me and mom stood up and followed him.

….

….

Once upon a time I lived the fairytale life. I had two parents who loved me, doted on me. I was an only child. I never met my cousins, Olga and Helga, and only met my Uncle Robert twice, at funerals. There was a family argument years before I was born. It caused a chasim that was never filled in, but not for lack of my father trying. My mother often told me how much it broke my Dadday's heart, that his older brother would never let it go. What "it" was, was never told to me. And I never asked. There was a unwritten rule on the list of Household Rules, that was pinned to the wall in the dining room.

Pataki's don't talk about problems. We sweep it under the rug.

I guess that is why I found my outlet artistically. I drew, wrote, painted. I played sports. My hair was always off my face in a singe ponytail. I started plucking my unibrow in middle school. Lulu had teased me mercilessly about it. She was one of the more "popular" girls in school, and by popular, I mean with the boys. And because of that, all the other girls in school buzzed around her like she was the queen bee of a hive. She made the rules, she decided who was in and who was out.

I was out.

But it never bothered me. I think that was one of the biggest reasons Lulu had it in for me. That, and I was often told how much prettier than her I was. I had the classic "all-american" look: blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned and toned, size 4 figure. Lulu had this rusty-brown hair she kept in two plaits. She dressed in dresses, and if you just met her you would think she was friendly and sweet. But she could be anything but.

"Hilda, are you ready?" I heard my mothers voice call up the stairs. I sighed and took one last look in the mirror. Wearing a pink tank and denim shorts with white sandals, hair in a barret today, I sighed. Another day in the grind.

"In a minute!" I called back. I grabbed my book bag and left my room, giving it one last look over to make sure it was all tidy. Yes. I am a neat freak. Sue me!

"Your father and I need to go into the city today," mom said, holding out a brown paper bag. I was on a strict diet, and she didn't trust the school cafeteria food.

My mom was perfect in my eyes. I got my blonde hair and blue eyes from her. I got my nose and ears from my dad. My mum was very talented, but was happy being the housewife. I spent a lot of time with my mother, which many girls at school thought was weird. They would sneak out of the house, drink, and fight with their mothers. But strangely I never had any fights with my mom. Disagreements, sure, but never fights. And I never spoke to her the way I knew some girls would speak to their mothers.

I wouldn't dare. My father would never let me get away with it.

We attended church every Sunday. We read a passage from the bible every night before dinner. We took turns. Dad, Mom, me. We said grace. Rhoda had once stayed and looked uncomfortable. Then she told the whole school that we were strictly religious and weird. She made up most of it, probably for Miss Queen Bee's attention.

"You look pretty today," my dad said. "Any special reason?"

"No, just felt like dressing up a bit," I said smiling. I loved my Dad. He was a big, friendly giant, though not as big as my Uncle Robert. I remember him being a big, loud, angry bear. The complete opposite of my dad. Maybe that's why they didn't get along?

I walked over and gave him a kiss, then mom a kiss.

"I made dinner, it's in the fridge, just warm it up, okay?" Mom said.

"Okay mom. Love you guys!" I said, blowing them kisses.

I wish I had known that was the last time I would see them.

…...

…...

…...


	2. Chapter 2

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HILDA

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Going into the Principal's office, I saw two policemen and another man, who turned for me to see was my Uncle Robert. He looked as stern as ever. There was a small blonde woman sitting next to him, with her head down, who I assumed was my aunt Miriam.

I had never met her before.

"Sit down girl," my uncle said.

My aunt Miriam looked up then, and gasped when she saw me.

"Helga?" I heard her whisper. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"Miriam," my uncle said in a warning voice.

"Hilda, take a seat please," Principal Wax said. But I didn't want to. Something was wrong, I could tell immediately. Why else would there be two police officers and my aunt and uncle from the city sitting there in my school Principal's office?

I could think of only one reason.

"NO," I said, backing away. "No."

"Honey," my aunt said, reaching her arms out for me. "It's okay."

I just stared at her in disbelief. Okay? They were here to give me bad news and they were telling me it was okay?

I just turned and ran out of the school. No one followed me. If I didn't hear what they had to say nothing was wrong, right?

I wasn't even at the end of the street when the police car pulled up beside me.

"Hilda, get in the car!" Billy called out to me. I just shook my head and kept walking.

The car stopped and he got out. He had graduated two years ago, and had all the girls after him. After graduating he went to police academy and then had come back. He was very handsome. What a weird thought to be having at this moment…

"Hilda, come on," he said, reaching out and grabbing my hand. I stopped and just stood there as he moved closer. "I'll take you home. Your aunt and uncle will meet us there, okay?"

I just nodded and let him lead me to the back of the police car.

The other officer I didn't know. He was new to town, so I hadn't met him before. Billy got in the back with me.

"It was instant, they said," he told me. "That's something, right?"

I said nothing. I just closed my eyes. I thought I was going to be sick.

"What happened?" I asked in a whisper.

"A tired truck driver crossed the line and hit your parents car head on," he said. I looked up to see his eyes were getting damp, and he was swallowing hard. I knew it was hard for him as well. Everyone knew everyone here. And my father worked with the youth through the Church's Youth Programme. He was an uncle to everyone, especially the boys.

When we reached my home I saw my aunt and uncle had already arrived. Entering the house I saw my Uncle Robert sitting at the table with a coffee.

"Go upstairs and help your aunt pack your stuff," he said. "Just the essentials for now. The rest will be sent for."

I just nodded and went up the stairs to my room. My aunt was going through my wardrobe, and pulling out and neatly folding my clothes. She smiled when I walked in.

"You're the same size as Helga," she said. "She has so many clothes."

I frowned a little. Wasn't Helga dead? This woman spoke of her as if she were still alive.

I walked over to my dressing table and looked at the photo I had sitting there, framed. It was of me and my parents this past summer. We had gone to the beach. We looked so happy. We were so happy. Even just this morning.

"Oh, honey," my aunt Miriam said, wrapping her arms around me. "It will be okay. You have me and Uncle Bob, and cousin Olga. We'll look after you."

Somehow, that didn't reassure me . . .

….

ARNIE.

….

Everything was quiet at dinner that night. The Pataki's were well-known and well liked family.

"Hilda's being sent to live with her aunt and uncle in the city," my dad said.

"Well, that's nice, isn't it Arnie?" my mom asked. I said nothing. I know it unnerved her. "You'll already have a friend there."

"I spose," I said, emotionlessly. I felt terrible for Hilda, I really did. As much as I sometimes despised my parents, I could never imagine the pain of losing them. And I knew how close Hilda was to her parents. She must be devastated. I looked out the window. Should I go visit?

"Arnie, why don't you and I pop around after dinner with some pie," mom said. I just nodded. Dinner went on in silence after that. Then mom got up and pulled the pie out of the oven. As mom and I got our coats on, my dad went into the lounge to watch TV. I didn't watch a lot of TV. It was always, watch what Dad's watching or watch nothing at all. Nintey percent of the time I chose nothing at all.

Mom and I took the car over in silence. When we got there and knocked a blonde, dopey looking woman opened the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked. I recognized her to be Helga's mom.

"Oh, we just stopped by with some pir and to see how Hilda is doing," my mom said.

"Oh, you know, I think she's up in her room," she said, looking past my mom to look at me. "I'll just call her down."

"No need," my mom said quickly. "Arnie can go up, can't you Arnie?"

"Sure," I said, and made my way in and up the stairs. I blocked out the rest of my mom's conversation with Helga's, and found my way to Hilda's room. She was lying on her side on her bed, crying.

"Hi Hilda," I said. She slowly turned to look at me, wiping her eyes.

"Oh, hi, Arnie," she said, trying to manage a smile. My heart broke for her.

"I'm sorry about your parents. I know you were close," I said.

She nodded, then turned back to the wall.

"I'm moving to Hillwood too," I said, hoping that maybe that would cheer her up. Hilda was such a nice girl, friendly, funny, smart. Pretty. I never understood why none of the other girls liked her.

She sat up at this news, and looked at me.

"You are?" she asked, wiping her eyes again. I walked over and sat on the bed next to her.

"Yeah. I'm staying with my aunt and uncle as well," he told her. "They lost their son, my cousin, a few months back."

"My cousin Helga passed away too. Are we thinking about the same boy?" she asked.

"Yeah, Arnold and Helga," I confirmed.

"Wow, weird huh?" she said, sniffling. "They found his body though, right?"

I nodded.

"They didn't find my cousins," she said.

I didn't say that I knew that, though she probably would have known anyway.

"Arnie?" I heard my mother call from the doorway. "It's time to get going. How are you dear?"

"I'm . . . okay . . ." Hilda said, sniffling again.

"That's good. I brought over some pie," my mom said quietly.

Yeah, cause pie's going to make everything MUCH better! I thought. I didn't show it though. I had learned a long time ago to keep my thoughts and feelings to myself…

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HILDA

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Miriam hovered over me like a mother hen. She was actually driving me a little crazy. Though I was starting to wonder if that was because she was. Every now and then she would slip up and call me Helga. It got to the point where I stopped correcting her. I spent most of my time in my room. On the day of my parents funeral she sat beside me, hand around my shoulders, kissing my head and telling me everything would be okay. For the first time in my life I wanted to smack someone.

My Uncle Robert barely said a thing. He was not a talker, unless it was about business or to complain about something. Anything.

The morning of my parents funeral was all wrong. It was a bright, sun shiney day, the birds were chirping, and it just didn't add up. Miriam came in and took my packed suitcase down to the car. It was going to be an early funeral, because we were driving to the city straight afterwards. I took one last look around the room that I had spent that last seventeen years in.

"Goodbye, old room," I whispered, then closed the door behind me.

Watching my parents caskets get placed in the ground I looked up to see a strange look on his face though. It was like he'd been punched in the gut or something. He turned away afterwards and stalked to his car. They had my stuff packed. I couldn't understand why I wasn't crying. My parents were dead and gone forever, and yet there I stood, no tears, but a deep deep ache in my broken heart. Eventually it was over, and aunt Miriam led me to the car. I already had my most precious possessions packed in a suitcase in the back. Arnie came over just before we left.

"I guess I will se you in Hillwood," he said. I often wondered if he felt anything. I had had the most massive crush on this boy when we were younger, but as I grew up I began to notice something wasn't quite right with him.

"Yeah," was all I said, before getting in the car. He closed the door for me, and as we drove away, I looked back one last time.

"Goodbye Mommy, goodbye Daddy."

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AUTHORS NOTE: This fanfic's main characters are Arnie and Hilda. Arnold and Helga's story will be told through diary entries, but they wont feature directly IN the story. Sorry . . .


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